Proposed NY Law Would Allow Kids to Contradict Anti-Vaxxer Parents

A new law being proposed in New York would allow kids to get vaccinated without their parent's consent if they're 14 or older.

The new legislation, being proposed by Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy and Senator Liz Krueger would allow children 14 and older to get vaccinated without parental consent, to protect themselves from disease.

Currently, New York State allows parents to exempt their children from vaccinations for religious or medical reasons - but there are concerns that a proliferation of misinformation on social media has led to parents refusing vaccinations over concerns the shots cause autism - a claim which has been debunked.

The "anti-vaxxer" movement has led to several outbreaks of disease including whooping cough and measles across the US. Currently, New York is experiencing a measles outbreak downstate, primarily in the Orthodox Jewish community - where not all children are vaccinated.

Earlier this month, an Ohio teen testified in front of Congress, to tell how he went against his mother's anti-vaxxer beliefs by getting his shots when he turned 18. Ethan Lindenberger told Congress that more must be done to combat fraudulent claims on social media about vaccine safety.